Labor lash former NDIA boss Martin Hoffman over new private sector gig

Don Farrell accused Martin Hoffman of using his knowledge of the inner workings of the NDIS for his own financial benefit in the private sector.

Senator Farrell said it was a "poor reflection" on the Morrison government that Mr Hoffman took the board position with Bridge SaaS Limited in the first place.

He said there wouldn't be a repeat of "this sort of behaviour" under the Albanese government.

"We are extremely disappointed that a former public servant would seek to monetise their service with the NDIS and to capitalise on the information he must have gained in the job to seek financial benefit," Senator Farrell told a Senate estimates hearing.

Mr Hoffman could not be reached for comment, but Bridge's chief executive Jamie Conyngham said the ex-agency boss was hired because he shared the business's passion for the NDIS and its future sustainability.

"He brings in-depth knowledge of the NDIS which is invaluable to our goal of supporting the NDIS to the benefit of those who use it," he said in a statement to The Canberra Times.

Senator Farrell was representing NDIS Minister Bill Shorten at the hearing.

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Mr Hoffman resigned from the agency in June, just a week after Mr Shorten was sworn in to the NDIS portfolio following Labor's election win.

Mr Shorten was highly critical of Mr Hoffman and his running of the agency during his time in opposition, meaning the resignation was hardly a surprise.

In August, the Minister was reportedly "incredibly disappointed" to learn of Mr Hoffman's appointment to Bridge, with the NDIA board firing off a "please explain" to the agency's former boss.

The government was understood to be looking into whether the private sector board role breached obligations to Mr Hoffman's NDIA contract, according to a report in The Australian.

Mr Hoffman was expected to join the board as a non-executive director on September 20.

However, he only started in the role on November 4, according to an announcement from Bridge to the Australian Stock Exchange.

Mr Hoffman will receive $55,000 per year and 400,000 share options linked to performance as part of his remuneration package, company records show.

"Martin's experience within both the public and private sectors will be invaluable as we execute on our growth initiatives," Mr Conyngham said in the statement.

At Wednesday night's Senate estimates hearing, Labor senator Louise Pratt asked what action the board had taken after learning of Mr Hoffman's appointment.

The board wasn't represented at the hearing, meaning it fell to Department of Social Services secretary Ray Griggs to offer an update.

Mr Griggs said there was no legal restriction which prevented Mr Hoffman taking up a role in the private sector after leaving the agency.

He said it was his understanding the board and Mr Hoffman had exchanged letters, although he wasn't privy to the contents.

Mr Griggs said the broader issue of how former bureaucrats managed conflicts of interests after moving to the private sector would be canvassed as part of the government's public sector reform agenda.

In his statement, Mr Conyngham said Bridge connected providers to disability and social programs, helping them to streamline compliance and organisational tasks.

"It currently supports more than one million participant records in employment services and is expanding into NDIS services aiming to slash some of the inefficiencies that have been undermining the scheme by linking the sector's fractured 17,000 providers and ensuring recipients get better value for money," he said.